Carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids



' 4 Sheets-Sheetl `C. CUNNINGHAM A ENSING LIQUIDS Filed Jan'. 25, 1929 CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DI-SP Jan. 13,11931. c. CUNNINGHAM 1,788,987

CARRIER FOR- TRANSPORTIG AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS Filed .rang 25. 1929 4 sheets-sheet, 2

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ATTORN EYS c. CUNNINGHAM 1,788,987

Jan. 13, 1931.

CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 25,-1929 4 sheets-sheet 3 INVENTOR Jan. is, 1931. @CUNNINGHAM 3,788,987

CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 25, 1929 `4 sheets-sheet 4 ATTORN EYS Patented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIEIIRIS'J!OIEHEIIR. CUNNINGHAM, 0F JAMAICA, NEW YORK CARRIER FOR TRAN SPORTING AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS Application led January 25, 1929. Serial No. 835,128.

amountof liquid which may be transported.

by each carrier 'and also require that the liquid be sub-divided and carried in separate compartments. In carriers for transporting and dispensing liquid now in common use, a tank of the total capacity allowed for the carrier, is provided, which tank is sub-divided by transverse partitions into a plurality of smaller compartments. Because of this arrangement it is essential l5 that the tank be of considerable length and of large cross section. The large cross section of the tank greatly reduces its strength or makes it necessary that it be made of heavy gage sheet metal with its consequent great weight. There is also a tendency of the seams to open up under the severe strains to which the tank is subjected in transporting the liquid, especially over rough roads. It is diicult to repair this ,sub-divided large tank and it is also difcult to properly mount and secure it rigidly on the carrier frame. Y f The object of my invention is to overcome the Jfaults above mentioned by providin im- '30 provements in the carrier and in thellquid containers and also in their common dispensing apparatus whereby the strength of the containers may be materially increased; the weight of the carrier as a whole may be materially decreased; the dispensing of the liquid may be facilitated and the leakage which is now so common may be elimil nated.

My lnventlon comprises, generally, a car- 4 rier having a plurality of separate containers of comparatively small cross section, disposed side b side longitudinally of the carrier, prefera ly in upper and lower groups; said containers being connected by valved outlet passages to the Vdispensing apparatus;

novel means under manual control being provided for successively opening the valves in the said outlet passages and for establishing a flow of liquid whenthe outlet valve of a selected container is opened and novel 50 means also under manual control being provided, operable onl when the valves are closed, for locking t e valves in their closed positions and for protecting the dispensing apparatus.

My invention also comprises certain improvements in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts of the carrier as will hereinafter more specifically appear.

My invention is shown and described in connection with an automobile carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids, in which the liquid i'n the containers is siphoned through the dispensing apparatus, a small hand pump being provided as a part of the dispensing apparatus for starting the siphoning action of the liquid when the outlet valve of a selected container has been opened.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents my improved carrier in side elevation, partly in section and partly in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 represents a transverse section on an enlarged scale, taken in the plane of the line II-II of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section on 'an enlarged scale, taken in the` lane of the line III-III of Fig. 1, looking 1n the direction Aof the arrows.

Fig. 4 represents a detail transverse sectiontaken in the plane of the.line IV-IV- of Fig. 5, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 represents a detail section taken in 00 bars 3, has a depressed middle portion 42' which is secured on the chassis transverse bar 2 about midway between the longitudinal side bars 1, by the bolt 5 and its nut 6. The rear two of the frame crossbars 3 are secured on the longitudinal side bars 1, of the chassis by strap bolts 7, and their vnuts 8.

.The longitudinally disposed liquid containers are herein represented as six cylindrical tanks 9 of relatively small diameters and of thin gage metal, said tanks being ar.

ranged side by side in upper and lower groups of threes, the lower group being longer than the upper group so as to add stability to the carrier by keeping the weight as near the ground as possible; and the front and rear ends of the Dtanks of the lower group projecting beyond the corre; sponding ends of the tanks of the upper group to permit the tanks of the upper group to be mounted close to the tanks of the lower group without interfering with the devices carried by the tanks of the lower group at their front and rear ends.

The three lower tanks 9 are seated in recesses in a cross bracket 10 uprising from each of the frame crossbars. Foot boards 11, are secured to the outer ends of these cross brackets 10 and extend lengthwise of upper outside tanks.`

the carrier along the outside tanks of the lower group.

The tanks of the upper and lower groups are rigidly secured together and to the frame crossbars, in spaced relationship, as follows: A series of groups of spacing brackets are located over each one of the-frame crossbars 3. The two inside spacing brackets 12 of one group are located between the upper and lower inside tanks Aand the upper and lower outside tanks. The two outside spaclng brackets 13 of said group are located between the upper inside -tank and thev two The two outside spaclng brackets 14 of the said group are located between the upper and lower outside tanks. Vertical bolts 15, which are passed through flanges 16 on the bracket 12"and through the upper ange of the frame crossbar 3, serve with their nuts 17, totie the brackets 12 to. the sald frame crossbar 3. Vertical bolts 18,'

which vpass through thesaid flanges 16 of the brackets 12, and also through the flanges 19 of the brackets 13, serve with their nuts 20, to tie the brackets 13 to the brackets'12.

Y horizontal bolt 21 which passes'through the anges 22 of the brackets 1'4, serves with its nut 23 toitie the brackets 14 together. It will thus be seen that a very -light and rigid means is provided for securing the tanks together and to the carrier frame crossbars,'it

being understood that lightness is a great desirability in carriers of this nature. It will also be seen that a very great saving in weight of the carrier is obtained by the ability to build the liquid containers of sufiiciently small cross section to utilize very thin gage sheet metal. p

Each of the longitudinally disposed tanks 9 has at its front end an uprising filler head upper tanks and having a self-closing air inlet valve 33 of any well known or approved type. By locating the filler heads 24 for the tanks of the lower group beyond the forward ends of the tanks of theupper group and by locating the outlet valves for the tanks of the lower group beyond the rear ends of the tanks of the upper group, l am enabled to mount the upper tanks in close proximity to the lower tanks and thereby materially increase the stability of the carrier, as before set forth.

The self-closing outlet valves 30 are each provided with ahandle 34 and the valve 33 is provided with a handle 35 for operation by the manually controlled means to be hereinafter described. The liquid dispensing apparatus is located at the rear of the tanks and comprises a pipe 36 which. leads downwardly from the horizontal pipe 32, through a hand suction pump 37 of any well known or approved form to the dispensing nozzle-38 which is located below the lower group of tanks and which is providedl with the usual delivery hose. This dispensin nozzle 38 is provided with a self-closing va ve 39 having a handle 40 for manually opening the valve.

`The manually controlled means for dispensing the liquid from selected tanks is 'I constructed and arranged as follows:

The upper and lower cross shafts 41 and 42 are mounted in suitable bearings 43 and 44 of brackets 45, having their supporting arms 46 and 47 secured to the rear ends of` .the outside tanks .of the upper and lower groups. TheV upper cross shaft 41 has fixed thereon three discs 48, each having a cross pin 49 forming an abutment for engaging and lifting the valve handle 34 of its corresponding upper tank outlet valve 30 at a predeterpoint in the rotary movement of the.

gaging and lifting the valve handle 34 of its corresponding lower tank outlet valve 30, to o en the valve at a predetermined point lie rotary movement of the disc. The cross pins 49 and 51 on the discs 48 and 50 are so positioned with respect to one another as to cause the successive opening and closing of the outlet Valves for the several tanks, it being understood that the selfclosing valve 39 is held open and the hand suction pump is operated to start the Siphoning action of the liquid when the outlet va ve for a selected tank is opened.

The upper cross shaft 41 has also fixed thereon a disc 52 having an annular series of cross-pins 53 corresponding in number to, the number of tank outlet valves, which cross pins form abutments which are so positioned as to engage and movey thel handle 35 to open the air inlet valve 33 at predetermined times to stop the further siphoninglg of the liquid from the tanks.

The upperand lower cross shafts 41 and 42 of the delivery apparatus have fixed thereon -worm gears 54 and 55 which are driven by worms-56 and 57 fixed to a hand shaft 58 mounted in suitable bearings 59 and 60 of a bracket 61', supported on the cross shafts 41 and 42. This hand shaft 5.8 is provided at its lower end with a crank handle 62 for manually turning theshaft to bring the successive cross pins into coaction with their respective valve handles to open the valves.

The dispensing apparatus and the valves 3'0 and 33 are suitably enclosedl and protected by a cage 63 having a door 64 for gaining -access to the apparatus. This door i's pro- -vided with a projection 65 which is arranged to enter one of an annular series of notches 66 in the periphery of the middle the number of tank outlet valves and are sopositioned that the door cannot be closed or the apparatus locked unless all of the tank outlet valves 30 are closed, the coaction of the projection 65 with its recess 66 serving` to thus lock the outlet valvesin their closed positions-by preventing the turning of the disc carrying shafts. The door 64 of the cage may be locked in its closed any suitable locking device 67.

In operationz-The door 64 of the cage 63 is Aiirst unlocked and opened, the upward movement of the door withdrawing the p'rojection 65 from its locking engagement with the disc 50. The handle`62 is then manipposition by ulated tb turn the hand shaft 58, thereby causing the rotation of the upper and lower discs 48 and 50 andthe successive opening and 'closing of the outlet valves until the outlet valve of the selected tank is opened, by the coaction of one of the pins 49 or 51on an upper or a lower disc with its valve handle. The discharge nozzle valve 39 may then be opened and held open and the hand suction pump 37 manipulated to start the How of liquid by a siphoning action from the selected tank upwardly through its outlet pipe'29, valve 30 and pipe 31 to the cross pipe 32 and from thence downwardly through the, pipe 36 and pump 37 to the discharge nozzle 38. As soon as this flow 4of liquid is established it will continue by a siphoning action to empty the tank until the vHow of liquid is broken. .This may be done at the proper time by further turning the hand shaft 58 to cause one of the cross pins 53 on the disc 52 to engage and move the handle 35 of the air inlet valve 33, to open the valve and admit air to the cross pipe 32. This movement of the hand shaft .58 will, at the same time, permit the outlet valve 30 to close. The liquid in the pipe 36 may then be allowed to drain off through the discharge nozzle 38 when the discharge nozzle valve 39 may be permitted to close. The door 64 maybe closed and locked, the closing movement bringing the projection 65 into locking engagement with one of the notches 66 in the lower middle disc 50 for locking the dispensing apparatus with all of the outlet valves closed, thereby preventing the danger of the unintentional operation of the dispensing apparatus as, for instance, by the movement of the-carrier. It will be understood that the door cannot be closed unless a notch 66 of the disc 50 is opposite the projection 65 as the projection would otherwise strike the periphery of the disc 50 between the notches, before the closing of the door. 1

When one tank has been emptied', it is obvious that the hand shaft 58 may be turned to open another selected tank outlet valve for the emptying of its tank.

It is evident that various changes maybe resorted to inthe construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my 1nvention; hence, I do not intend to limitv myself to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but what I claim is 1. A' carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a 'plurality of liquid` the front and rear ends of the containers of the upper group, whereby the containers of the upper group may be mounted close to the containers of the lower group without interfering with the said uprising filler heads and outlet pipes of the lower group.

2. Acarrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a. plurality of liquid containers, a. common dispensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passa-ges connecting the containers with -the dispensing apparatus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for saidvalves, and manually rotatable discs, one for each handle, provided with abutments arranged to engage and move said handles for successively opening said valves, and means for establishing a flow of liquid from a selected container when its outlet valve is opened.

3. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a plurality of liquid containers of relatively small cross section, disposed longitudinally of the carrier, side by side, a common dispensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing appara-4 tus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for said valves, and manually rotatable discs, one for each handle, provided with abutments Aarranged to engage and move said handles for successively opening said valves, and means for establishing a flow of liquid from a selected container when its outlet valve is opened.

4. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a plurality of containers, a common dispensing apparatus for said containers,` outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for said valves, rotatable discs, one for each handle, provided with abutments arranged to successively engage and move' said handles for opening said valves, means for establishing a flow of liquid from a 'selected container when its outlet valve is opened, a shaft on which said discs are mounted, and a hand lshaft having a geared connection with said disc shaft for rotating said discs.

5. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a plurality of containers of relatively small cross section, disposed longitudinally of the carrier, side by side, a common dispensing apparatus .for said containers, outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for said valves, rotatable discs, one for each handle, provided with abutments arranged to successively engage and move said handles for opening said valves, means for vestablishing a ,How of liquid from a se- `lected container when its outlet valve i's opened, a shaft on which said discs are mounted, and a` hand shaft having a geared connection with said disc shaft for rotating saidl discs.

6. A carrier for transportin and dispensing liquids including a plurality of containers of relatively small cross section, disposed longitudinally of the carrier, side by side, in upper and lower groups, a common dispensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, valves normally clost disc shafts for rotating said discs.

7 A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a plurality of containersof relatively small cross section,disposed longitudinally of the carrier, side by side, in upper and lower groups, the tanks of the lower group projecting beyond the front and rear ends of the tanks of the upper groups,

a common dispensingapparatus for said containers, outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for said valves, upper and lower groups of rotatable discs, one-for each handle, provided with abutments, arranged to engage and move said handles for successively opening said valves, means for establishing a flow of liquid from a selected container when its outlet valve is opened, upper and lower shafts on which said discs are mounted, and a hand shaft having geared connections with both of said disc shafts for rotating said discs.

8. A carrier for transporting and dispensingliquids including a plurality of containers, a common dispensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, valves normally closing said passages, han` dles for said valves, manually rotatable connected discs, one for each handle, provided with abutments arranged-to'successively engage and move said handles for opening said valves, means for establishing a flow of liquid from a selected container when its outlet valveis opened, and a cage for enclosing and'protecting said dispensing apparatus, said caga having a door provided with a device arranged to coact with one of said discs only when all the outlet valves are `closed, to lock the valves `in their closed position.

9. A carrier for transporting and dispens-i A ing liquids including a plurality of containers of relatively small cross section disposed longitudinall of the carrier, side by side, a common 'spensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passages connectingA the containers with the dispensing apparatus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for said valves, manually rotatable connected discs, one for each-handle, provided with abutments arranged to successively engage and move said handles for opening said valves, means for establishing a flow of liquid from' a selected container when its outlet valve is opened, and a cage for' sively engage and move 4said handles for opening said valves, means for establishing a flow of liquid from a selected container when its outlet valve is opened, one of said discs having an annular series of recesses'corresponding in number to the number of valves, and a cage for enclosing'andprotecting said dispensing apparatus, said cage having a door provided with .a device arranged to coact with one of said recesses only when all the outlet valves are Closed, to lock the valves in their closed position.

11. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including aplurality ofvcon tainers of relatively small cross section, disposed longitudinally of the carrier, side'by side, a common dispensing apparatus for said conta1ners,.outlet passages connectmg the containers with the dispensing apparavided with abutments arranged to succes-4v -sively engage and move said handles for tus, valves normally closing said passages, handles for said valves, manually rotatablev connected discs, oneV for each. handle, proopening said valves, means for establishing -a iow of liquid" from a selected container when its outlet-valve is opened, one 0f said discs having an annular series ofl recesses corresponding in number to the number of valves, and acage for enclosing and protecting said dispensing apparatus, said cage having a door provided with a device -airranged to coact with one( of said recesses only whenl all the outlet ,valves are closed, `.to lock the valves intheirclosed position.

. 12. A carrier `fon-transporting and dispensing liquids including a. plurality of con tainers, a common dispensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passages, connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, outlet valves normally closing said passages, an air inlet valve, handles for said outlet and air inlet valves, manually rotatable vconnected discs, one for each handle, provided with abutments, arranged to successively engage and move said handles for opemng said valves, and means for establishing a iow of liquid from a selected conl tainer when its outlet valve is opened.

13. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a plurality of containers of relatively small cross section, disposed longitudinally of the carrier, side by side, a common dispensing apparatus for said containers, outlet passages connecting the containers with the dispensing apparatus, Outlet valves normally closing said passages, an air inlet valve, handles for said outlet and air inlet valves, manually rotatable connected discs, one for each handle,l provided with abut-ments, arranged to successively engage and move said handles for opening said valves, and means for estab-l lishing a flow of liquid from4 a selected container when its outlet valve is opened.

14. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids including a plurality of containcrs of relatively small cross section disposed longitudinally of the carrier, vside by side in upper and lower groups, the con-V tainers of the lower group projecting beyond the rear ends of the container of the upper group, a cross pipe located above the containers, a self-closmg air inlet valve for said cross pipe, outlet pipes leading upward# ly from the ,containers to said cross pipe, self-closing outlet valves in said pipes, a valved dischar e nozzle located below the containers, a discharge pipe leading downl wardly from said cross pipe to said discharge nozzle, manually o erated means for successively opening sai outletA and air Vinlet valves, anda hand suction pump con*- nected` to said discharge pifpe, operable to establish av How of liquid r 15. A carrier for transporting and dispensing liquids includingga plurality of om a selected'. container when itsjoutlet valve is opened.'

containers of relatively small cross section,

.disposed longitudinally of the carrier,l side by side in upper and lower groups, the containers of the lower group projecting beyond the rear endsof the containers of the upper group, a crossv pipe located above the containers, a self-closing air inlet valve for said cross pipe, outlet pipes leading upwardl from the'containers to said cross pipe, sel closing' outlet'va-lves in said pipes, avalved discharge .nozzle located V.below the containers, a ,discharge pipe leading downwardly from ysaid cross plpe to said discharge nozzle,`1'nanually operated means lfor 'succes sively opening said outlet and air inlet valves, a hand suction pump connected to said discharge pipe, operable to establish a flow -of liquid from a selected container when its outlet valve isopened, and a cage enclosing and protectingAsaid-pipes, valves, pump, noz# zle and manually operated means, said cage having a door for gaining access to the interior of the cage. ,l

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 24th day of January, 1929.

CHRISTOPHER CUNNINGHAM. 

